One (well, two) more thing about Kindergarten applications...

By Joyce Szuflita
Two things:
1. Rank in true preference order, you will not be advantaged or disadvantaged.
Here is a scenario to illustrate: (and I used a picture of PS 107 because I had it handy - NOT because this is the school I am talking about in this example- it is not! geesh)
Lets say that you are your neighbor is zoned for a popular school (PS X) which has, in the past, been overcrowded with zoned students (this is very rare, don't freak out).
You like some un-zoned, out of zone and dual language programs and you rank PS X- #5.
Your neighbor is frightened that the school is too popular and she won't get a placement, so she ranks the school #1 and tells you that you are not going to get the placement because you put it #5. She is wrong, drop her. She is only making your (and my) life harder.

As zoned families you BOTH have exactly the same priority for the school, no matter where you rank it. There is a lottery aspect to this. Watch this vimeo to explain:
https://vimeo.com/288796889
For the sake of this example, lets say that you were lucky in the lottery and your neighbor was not.
In the match, if the computer is not able to put you in the choices that you prefer #1-4 then it sees your high priority and low lottery # and places you in PS X. It sees your neighbor's high priority and bad number and she is not placed there.
Her head explodes. Yours does not.

2. G&T has nothing to do with this ranking.
You may have just tested for G&T so it is front of mind, and perhaps you are wondering if you should rank schools that have G&T classes in them to somehow give you an edge in a G&T placement later. NO. This is not a thing. The general ed programs in those schools are completely separate entities for placement. Forget G&T exists. This is a separate thing. LATER when the scores come back and you rank G&T choices, you are not advantaged or disadvantaged because of your current gen ed placement.

Good luck to all.